Emulsifiers play a major role for a very wide variety of applications. One attractive field of application for emulsifiers is the so-called emulsion polymerization. Usually, surfactants are used as emulsifiers in this process.
Emulsion polymerization is a specific method of polymerization in which monomers with low solubility in water are emulsified in water with the help of emulsifiers and are polymerized using water-soluble initiators such as potassium peroxodisulfate or redox initiators. Anionic and/or nonionic surfactants are essential constituents in this process. Via micelle formation in the aqueous solution, they ensure the process of emulsion polymerization.